Part 31: Update XXIX - On the verge of a dream

Update XXIX - On the verge of a dream

Music: First Chimeric Lunar Sea - Second Floor


Alright, time to tidy up some loose ends while we wait for the end of the week.



Like finding that damn missing spot on my map.

I don't get anything for it, mind you, I just don't like not having a full set of yellow numbers.



Turns out, it was just past where we caught Alice on the first day we were here!

Music: Battle - First Chimeric Lunar Sea


On top of that, being one point off from a new skill annoys the hell out of me.



So I go and grind out an extra level to get that taken care of.



A relaxing end to the week, after the clusterfuck it started with.



Music: School III


Much better.



Music: School IV




I am SO ready. I've got my two cipher keys and I know the real name of my opponent's Servant. All right, let's rock this round!

The question now is, how many of these people are going to die tomorrow?



How about you? Have you found out the real name of that little girl's Servant yet? Do everything you can now, or you will regret it later.

I really like the setup of the NPCs in this game. When you start out, the place is packed. But as we keep going, the place gets emptier and emptier as more people die trying to reach the Grail.

~

*Snicker*... Hey, listen. I came across my opponent in the Arena, pretended I was weak, gave a false real name, and ran away. I'm excited for tomorrow. *Snicker*...



She's basically a walking, talking doll... Way creepy. Good luck, you'll need it.

By Week 7, the only people left in the building will be Hakuno, our final opponent (who will almost certainly be Leo), the Servants, and the handful of NPCs that oversee everything. Everyone else will be long dead.

~

I don't get you. I don't want to talk to anyone. Especially before a fight. Pay at least a little attention to what's going on around you, huh?



If you don't, you might unwittingly be setting your Servant up for a gruesome demise.



Open the Status option in the terminal menu and then press the L button or R button. You can also view your Servant's skills by pressing ■.



If there is anything you need to do in the Arena, do it now or your termination awaits you.



Myself? I have the machinations in place to win— My victory is assured by nature. That's all there is.



I stop off to get that new skill, but we'll have to wait a full five levels before we get the next. Considering Caster is already two levels above the recommended, we might end up going all of Week 4 without a new skill.





In a change of pace from her other skills, Mantra: Aphotic Cave gives Caster a much appreciated defensive option to help patch over her own paper thin durability.



As much as I regret it, I'd rather not have flowers offered in my memory.



If you survive long enough to face him, he'd cut you in half, too. Good luck with that.

~

Have you figured out the real name of your opponent's Servant yet? I know everything about my enemy now. My battle tomorrow should be a cakewalk.





And here you go, as promised! My beloved incense burner!



~

Behold the power of maturity! Um...never mind. Now, to have some of that Old Janx Spirit...

Music: Down to Dawn


The incense burner adds a bit more color to our private room.



We also hit the requirements for another hidden chat!

Hmm... The feeling of cold, hard, cash; I can never get enough of it. Granted, it's only virtual money, but I'm still glad to have it!

I know you don't care. And neither does the Moon Cell, so don't expect any acknowledgment of your solvency. Seriously, is the Moon Cell an investment banker? It's like we'll only mean something when we're rich!

Well, enough of that! Master, it's time to go shopping! Crass consumerism for the win!



The requirement for this one involves obtaining a total of 100K PPT over the course of the game.



Music: School IV


They seemed pretty dinky when they attacked me in the Arena.



So, I'm psyching myself up for the Elimination battle by practicing archery here.



Getting all of your preparation done early will let you focus on more important things.

~

Hey! I finally got to taste the mana of the gods themselves! The super-spicy bean curd! The exquisite scent! The subtle play of flavors! The way the spices enhanced the bean curd! I-It made me weep with its perfection... I can now die with nary a regret!



He isn't kidding, we can actually buy Mabo Tofu today!

Strangely, you can only buy it today, it'll vanish once the day ends.



So I get a small stockpile going.



I also buy the Silver Earrings while I'm at it. I'm not going to use them, but I like having one of everything.

...so, what the odds of the foodie making it to next week, now that he happily tripped a death flag?



I will survive...for both of us.



Alice is by the Arena entrance.

Music: Stops


Sound: Heartbeats


...I-Is something wrong? You look all scowly.

Alice looks puzzled. I blurt out what's in my head. Are you, the mirror's—

Music: Fear


The answer catches me by surprise. My heart clenches in my chest. She's not Alice. She's Alice, Servant of the girl named Alice.













This is disorienting. I'm not even sure which one I'm talking to. —Mirror images. The two of them are mirror images of each other. Reflections. Alice's dreams take shape in the mirror world. Story dreams, where her Servant is the protagonist. ...So that's it. Her Servant is the protagonist of her stories. No, a fanciful character turned warrior. The girl is grinning up at me, like none of this fazes her.

Okay, to clear things up a bit, Alice isn't Alice in Wonderland, she's Alice's own perception of her fairy tale stories. Alice, being a slowly dying war orphan, naturally self-inserted into the fairy tales she read as a form of escapism, so Alice appears as an identical copy of her. Presumably, if someone else summoned Alice, her appearance would match their mental image of whatever stories they read.



Ooh, I can't wait!



Alice waltzes off, a smile playing innocently on her face. —Can I defeat her? But if I don't win, I'll be the one to disappear. I glance at the Arena door expectantly.



Man, this week has been surreal.



Let's just finish the day real quick.

Music: First Chimeric Lunar Sea - Second Floor


Now, I could just turn around and head home.



But I do have a new skill to play with.

Music: Battle - First Chimeric Lunar Sea


Aphotic Cave is the priciest skill to date.





When going against Attack, Aphotic Cave is worse than a normal Guard, taking more damage and not firing off a counter after. While it can block a Break, that's still a waste of MP.

Aphotic Cave, as the description states, is meant to be used on enemy Skills. It blocks more damage than a regular Guard when used on a Skill, and also refunds 50 MP to boot! If you use it to block a Noble Phantasm, the refund shoots up to a massive 100!



On the damage side, Caster is quickly reaching a point where she can reliably deal 300 damage a hit. After a few more levels, I'll finally start increasing her Magic.





All that's left is to face Alice.



Music: School III


Let's send this dead person to the afterlife where they belong. You might not want to hear this, but that girl thinks that what we call reality is a bad dream.



Next time: The Elimination Battle